DAMN YANKEES, starring Sean Hayes and Jane Krakowski, will be the second of New York City Center's Encores! Summer Stars series.amn Yankees has a score by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, a book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop and is based on Wallop's novel "The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant."
It is the story of Joe Boyd, the ultimate baseball fan, who sells his soul to the Devil (
Sean Hayes) for the chance to help his team, the Washington Senators, win the pennant race against the Yankees. The Devil is aided by the sexy Lola (
Jane Krakowski), who seduces Joe, but ultimately helps him outsmart the Devil and return to his beloved wife. Songs include "Heart" and "Whatever Lola Wants."
The original Broadway production of Damn Yankees opened at the 46th Street Theatre on May 5, 1955, playing 1,019 performances. Directed by George Abbott with musical numbers staged by
Bob Fosse, the original cast included Gwen Verdon and Ray Walton.
Sean Hayes will be making his New York stage debut in Damn Yankees. His films include The Bucket List, Pieces of April, The Cat in the Hat (as the voice of the Fish), Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss, and Cats and Dogs (as the voice of Mr. Tinkles). He has won two Screen Actors Guild Awards, a TV Guide Award and an American Comedy Award.Hayes won an Emmy (and was nominated six times) for his portrayal of "Jack" on "Will & Grace." He starred as Jerry Lewis in the television movie "The Martin & Lewis Story." (In an interesting note, Jerry Lewis's last appearance on Broadway was in the role of The Devil in Damn Yankees.)
Jane Krakowski originated the role of "Dinah the Dining Car" in the 1987 Broadway production of Starlight Express. She was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance in Grand Hotel; won the Tony Award for the revival of Nine; played April in Company at the Roundabout Theatre; and appeared alongside
Sarah Jessica Parker in the Broadway revival of Once Upon a Mattress. She starred on television in "Ally McBeal" and can currently be seen as Jenna Maroney on "30 Rock."
John Rando's Broadway credits include
The Wedding Singer and Urinetown (Tony Award for Best Director). His other New York credits include The Dinner Party, A Thousand Clowns and Polish Joke. His previous Encores! credits include Face the Music, Strike Up the Band, Do Re Mi, The Pajama Game and Of Thee I Sing.
Rob Berman is Music Director of the New York City Center Encores! series, where he has conducted and provided musical direction for Stairway to Paradise and Applause. He was the conductor of the Broadway revival of The Pajama Game and music director of the Kennedy Center Sondheim Celebration's
Sunday in the Park with George (
Helen Hayes Award, Best Musical Direction). Berman is music supervisor of Irving Berlin's White Christmas and music director for the Kennedy Center Honors.
Encores! Summer Stars, an expanded version of City Center's acclaimed Encores!series, is dedicated to presenting more-fully realized classic works of the American musical theater, and to giving leading actors the chance to play roles they were born to play.
New York City Center Encores! (
Jack Viertel, Artistic Director;
Rob Berman, Music Director) has, since 1994, celebrated the rarely-heard works of America's most important composers and lyricists. Conceived as "concert versions," each Encores! season gives three scores the chance to be heard as originally intended by their creators. Over the years, Encores! has presented the works of the Gershwins, Rodgers and Hart, Rodgers and Hammerstein,
Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Kurt Weill, Bock and Harnick, Burt Bacharach, Kander and Ebb, Comden and Green, and many more. The program is the recipient of a special 2000 Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre, as well as an Outer Critics Circle Award, Lucille Lortel Award and Jujamcyn Theaters Award.
The landmark not-for-profit New York City Center was founded in 1943 by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia as Manhattan's first performing arts center, and is now the annual New York City home to
Alvin Ailey, American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre's fall season, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company and Manhattan Theatre Club. New York City Center is host to some of America's and the world's most acclaimed performers and productions, and the producer of the Tony-honored Encores! and Encores! Summer Stars series, and the annual Fall for Dance Festival.
Damn Yankees will run July 5 – 27. Please see chart below for July 5 – 11 performance schedule. Beginning July 12, the schedule is as follows: Tuesday and Sunday evenings at 7 pm, Wednesday – Saturday evenings at 8:00pm, and matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 2:00pm.Tickets for Damn Yankees are available to New York City Center members beginning April 11 to Encores! subscribers on April 14 and to the general public beginning April 18 at the New York City Center Box Office (West 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues), through CityTix® at 212-581-1212, or online at www.nycitycenter.org. Tickets for the Orchestra, Grand Tier are $110 & 85; Mid-Mezzanine tickets are $50; tickets for the Rear Mezzanine and Gallery are $25
